Until it became obvious that there is something a little unsettling about Robert Francis O’Rourke and, more importantly for Democrats, that his floundering campaign is an empty and rudderless vessel, the failed senatorial candidate from Texas was the left’s latest wunderkind. Enter “Mayor Pete,” the youngest Democratic presidential candidate and the first openly gay man to run for president.

Though he stole the spotlight from O’Rourke, Pete Buttigieg also has nothing to offer, in terms of policy, that sets him apart from the crowd. He hopes to remain relevant, then, by pandering to the progressive wing. Indeed, if he were not openly gay, the mayor of South Bend, IN, would not register a blip on the electoral radar.

A Division and Grievance Platform

Like many Democrat politicians, Buttigieg accuses President Donald Trump – as well as all other Republicans – of divisiveness, while himself campaigning on a platform of division and grievance. He is, perhaps, even more insufferable than the other 2020 contenders in his moralizing and virtue-signaling.

During a recent interview on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, the mayor spoke about his desire to erase the Founding Fathers’ names from public life. Their ownership of slaves, Buttigieg says, disqualifies their memories from being honored. This is a classic example of the deep-rooted racism of Democrats: Buttigieg has practically no chance of commanding the black vote and so he virtue-signals over racism, believing that black people – who, he clearly thinks, are easily fooled – will support him for doing so.

Worse than Buttigieg’s pomposity and condescending manner, though, is the fact that he is fighting the rest of the Democratic field to see who can pour the most scorn on American history and traditional values. At his May 20 town hall appearance on Fox News, the upstart candidate explained his opposition to the Electoral College system. “States don’t vote, people vote,” Buttigieg said. “If we’re going to call ourselves a democracy, the U.S. should move to a popular vote system.”

States do vote, though, and so do the people of the 50 states. That is the beauty of the Electoral College; the people of a state make their choice at the ballot box and then the state’s electors award the Electoral College vote. The United States is a Republic, not a democracy, but Buttigieg seeks to diminish the states themselves in order to melt them all into one entity, over which the federal government rules supreme.

When all is said and done, though, Buttigieg is light on specific policy explanations and heavy on platitudes that focus on identity politics and demonizing the president and Republican Party. He brings nothing to the table that will set him apart from the other 20-plus Democrats fighting for their party’s nomination. Only his youth and sexual orientation will keep him in the race and, probably, keep him in it long after half of the candidates have melted away.

If, in some bizarre turn of events, Buttigieg were to find himself accepting the Democratic nomination, how would he fare against Trump in a general election? He has already alienated Christians – not by his being gay, but by his obvious contempt for Christians. He appears to believe that whiteness is a disease and he has no black following. Other than those Americans who so despise Trump that they will vote for whoever challenges him in 2020, Buttigieg has no base whatsoever.

Does Mayor Pete have the personality, the popularity, and the fundraising sustainability to be on the stage when only three or four Democrat contenders remain, though? Unless he can produce a detailed plan for the nation so outstanding that it captivates the imagination of primary voters, the answer is no.

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11 Comments

John Potenza

Graham J Noble

Not even a little bit. He’s a ridiculous little twerp, just like the rest of them. The only Democrat candidates who have even a chance of defeating Trump in 2020 are Biden and Harris – and Biden only has a chance because he’s already more well-known than all the rest put together.

Buttigieg? He’s gay, so he gets his 15 minutes of fame. He couldn’t even win the race for DNC chair – how on earth will he win the presidential nomination?

lazarus

Diogenes

“…Biden only has a chance because he’s already more well-known than all the rest put together.”

Name recognition, AKA branding. Trump is a master of branding. But you left out the most important factor. “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Wealthy and corporate donors control both parties. But as Trump proved, money can’t always buy an election. 😉

lazarus

The Democrats are offering 23 steaming Dogpiles, each with a slightly different flavor of perversion and each with a slightly different flavor of continuing destruction of America, and ALL of them rooted and sourced in the eight year Obama administration which is the most destructive of American values than all other American Presidencies combined. If you could stand the smell long enough you could analyze each Dogpile and determine its particular flavor.

Jules P. Guidry

“Mayor Pete” is like the rest of the leftie field…nothing of substance to offer to beat Trump in ’20. All the current contenders are running on taking out the prosperity which most Americans are experiencing nationwide.
The left’s offerings are nothing more than divisiveness and a return to the misery of the past. I’d bet that most Americans see them for what they are…empty suits masquerading as the next best thing for the folks.
I don’t think many are being fooled. The bottom line of the paychecks beats out the empty rhetoric of the left. Trump and the repubs just need to hammer it home.
MAGA 2020.

feet2fire

Chief Political Correspondent & Satirist at LibertyNation.com. Raised and inspired by his father, a World War II veteran, Graham learned early in life how to laugh and be a gentleman. After attending college, he decided to join the British Army, where he served for several years and saw combat on four continents. In addition to being a news and politics junkie, Graham loves laughter, drinking and the outdoors. Combining all three gives him the most pleasure. Individual liberty is one of the few things he takes seriously.

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About the author

Chief Political Correspondent & Satirist at LibertyNation.com. Raised and inspired by his father, a World War II veteran, Graham learned early in life how to laugh and be a gentleman. After attending college, he decided to join the British Army, where he served for several years and saw combat on four continents. In addition to being a news and politics junkie, Graham loves laughter, drinking and the outdoors. Combining all three gives him the most pleasure. Individual liberty is one of the few things he takes seriously.